


who wouldn't stand inside your love

by tinydragon (tiny_dragon)



Series: every moon and blinking sun [8]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-15 00:53:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11795049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiny_dragon/pseuds/tinydragon
Summary: in which nico is maybe, possibly, just a tiny bit jealous, and as usual no one listens to jason's advice.





	who wouldn't stand inside your love

It’s not as if Nico is  _jealous_ , per say.

…Okay, so he’s a little jealous. But that’s fine! It’s not like he’s about to throw a fit over it. Or break into the Apollo cabin while they’re all out having breakfast to ensure that Will isn’t getting up to any shenanigans behind his back. It’s not as if he even feels threatened in any way - Will loves him, and he loves Will, and he trusts him.

But this new girl, hanging around Will all the time? Blushing every time he so much as says hello and thanking him every day for bandaging her wrist when she was first brought to Camp Half-Blood a few days ago, a shiny new addition to the Athena cabin?

It’s not that he doesn’t like it, per say - okay, yeah, he doesn’t like it. But the thing is, he kind of knows he’s being unreasonable. There’s no way she could know that he and Will are together, she’s barely been at camp a week and it’s not as if PDA is really their thing. If she did, she’d probably feel terrible. But she doesn’t, and so she keeps giving Will these longing looks from across the dining pavilion.

“You know,” Jason says, chomping into a burger, spread out all over the Hades table as if he’d actually been invited. “You should just tell her you’re dating Will. Or tell Will she’s got some puppy love going on. It’d be much simpler.”

“Not jealous,” Nico mumbles.

Jason raises an eyebrow. “Not an idiot,” he contributes, rather unhelpfully.

“Okay. A bit jealous. Still no need for-”

“Basic communication?”

Nico scowls. “Aren’t you supposed to be creating shrines to the forgotten gods of the world?”

“Hey, I’m taking a well deserved break. I did just save the world, you know.”

“Two years ago, Grace, get over it. And Percy’s done it, like, twice as much.”

Jason considers this.

“Irrelevant,” he concludes. However, he seems to notice Nico’s ploy at changing the subject because he suddenly, sharply, turns the conversation quickly back into, well, serious places. At least, mildly more serious. “But like, really. Just say something.”

Pfft. Emotional confrontation? Not today.

::

Nico has grown to like the campfires a fair bit. Sure, they’re tedious in some ways - Leo always finds a way to show off his fire skills while Calypso rolls her eyes and whatever new campers there are gawp and gape. Chiron extends wisdom to them all, as if more than 15% of the camp are listening (they love him really), and Nico’s face keeps getting overly warm from the flames.

But otherwise, yeah, he loves it.

He loves it with Will too. He’s got a good routine going on, they’ve got a good thing. They always sit together at the campfire, surrounded by their other friends, and it’s all subtle but they’re still close. Skin touching, limbs brushing, fingers warm and intertwined.

Things he loves: the campfire, occasionally, and also Will.

And yeah, okay, maybe because the new girl, Chloe, keeps giving Will shy looks from across the blaze, clearly oblivious to everything else, Nico might just lean in a little bit closer to him, letting his breath bounce warm against Will’s wrists, shivers when Will’s blonde hair tickles at his skin as he mumbles something into his ear.

Not that the girl seems to pick up on it. Oh gods, what if she thinks they’re bros? Nothing terrifies Nico more than the idea of muscly straight guys punching him on the shoulder with a beefy grin, saying “no homo”.

“We are definitely not bros,” Nico mutters.

Will blinks. “You what?”

Jason catches Nico’s gaze from across the way, and mouths “told you so.  _Jealous.”_

::

So Nico overhears Chloe talking to one of her sisters about her huge crush on the blonde medic who took care of her on her first day, and his big blue eyes, and he kind of wants to go chill in the Underworld for oh, maybe six months or so.

The sister doesn’t say anything about Nico or Will having a boyfriend, and maybe she isn’t even really listening. But hey, Nico is. He’d appreciate some support here, universe.

See: he gets it. He’s being stupid. Will’s not gonna go for this girl, he knows that. Knows the thought of liking her won’t even cross his mind. He’s not secure in many things, but he’s pretty secure in one, and that’s just how much Will loves him.

What he’s not so sure of? Just how much he really deserves that love, and whether other kids here could wear it way better, make him smile brighter.

It’s not a nice way to feel.

::

“Any reason why you’ve been stalking me to the Apollo table at breakfast, lately?” Will asks, nonchalantly, a few days later when they’re sprawled out across Nico’s bed.

(Will had suggested going for a walk. Nico had snorted, and responded with one word. Or maybe two, technically: “uh, pillows?” and here they are.)

Nico frowns at his words.

“Um, rude,” he sniffs. “You should be blessed with my presence.”

“Oh, I am,” Will grins. “But like, you’re usually not up until noon. Breakfast is lunch and lunch is pomegranates. Something’s up.”

“I’m a morning person now,” Nico says weakly.

Will snorts.

“Yeah, and I’m Clarisse La Rue from Ares,” he says sarcasitcally. “What’s going on, really?”

Nico is quiet for a moment.

He swears he can hear Jason’s voice - like maybe the big blonde loser is chilling under his bed waiting to act as his conscience. But it’s probably just in his head, a byproduct from all the mother henning he’s done over the years.

_Just tell him, Nico_. Followed by a deep and long suffering sigh.

“So you know that new girl in Athena,” he says, eventually, not bothering to phrase it as a question. “She has a crush on you.”

“Oh, Chloe?”

“That’s the one.”

Will rubs the back of his neck a little awkwardly. “Yeah, I kind of figured that,” he says. “I was gonna tell you, she asked me out this morning.”

Nico’s eyes bug out. “What?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, came by the infirmary. I felt so awkward, I was so sure the entire world knew about me and you by now.”

“It’s… old gossip, I guess.”

“Mmmm.”

“And?” Nico probes. Will actually looks confused for a minute, until Nico rolls his eyes and says, “what happened?”

“Oh, well, I just told her that she’s really nice, but I’ve got a boyfriend at the moment. He’s pretty cool, you know him?”

Nico hides his face but he’s smiling. “You’re a dork.”

“She was cool with it,” Will continues. “Had no idea, said sorry and all that. But we’re all good.”

“Cool,” Nico says.

Quiet.

And then -

“So why’d it bother you, anyway?” Will asks. “That she liked me?”

“I don’t know,” Nico shrugs. “I, um. Was just as bit jealous, I guess?”

“How come?” he actually looks a little concerned. “You don’t - you didn’t think I’d like her or something, did you? Cause I wouldn’t. Not while I have you. I like you. You know that, right? Like, I love you.”

“I know that,” Nico says. “I love you too.”

“You better.”

“I  _do_.”

“Then… why?”

Nico curls up into himself but the thing is, Will follows his motions; melting into him and the way he leans, moving closer, not letting him isolate himself, pull away.

“Just, all that insecurity,” Nico says and he shrugs as if it’s nothing although he knows Will will know it’s not. “It never really goes away. I still don’t feel like I’m all that good enough for you sometimes.”

Will looks at him incredulously.

…And then, for some reason, gives him half a noogie, before collapsing on top of him and draping his arms around Nico’s neck, nuzzling in against him.

“Idiot,” he mutters. “As if - no, that’s not - you’re an idiot.”

“You just repeated yourself. Well done.”

“Don’t change the subject,” Will warns.

“Sorry,” Nico mutters.

“Don’t be,” Will says. He still hasn’t let go. “you don’t… you don’t need to feel that way. Like, ever. I love you. You know that. I don’t want anyone else?”

Nico hesitates, and he’s not sure for a moment if he believes it. There’s his past and his thoughts and all his experiences, moments that have taught him to believe he’s not good enough, he’s not worth it. No one could ever love him, at least not forever.

But it’s Will. And it’s enough.

“I love you too,” he mutters, barely getting out the words before Will’s lips are on his and he’s being kissed into oblivion.

::

The next day, at lunch, when Nico walks in the girl smiles semi-awkwardly, gives him a little wave, rose colours dusting her cheeks like she’s embarrassed.

Nico figures she doesn’t need to be.

He gives her a small smile back, and makes his way over to Will.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on tumblr at willsolaced!! :)


End file.
